Photographic developer package



sepfu 1o, 1940.

l. N. ODELL ET Al.

PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPER PACKAGE Filed March 20., 1939 El f f6 Mm;- ATTORNEY.

Patentedl Sept. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PHOTOGRAPHIC DEVELOPER PACKAGE Isaac N. Odell and Robert E. Smith, Rochester,

N. Y., assignors to Defender Photo Supply Company, Incorporated, poration of New York Rochester, N. Y., a cor- Application March 20, 1939, Serial No. 262,898

1 Claim.

This 'invention relates to a photographic developer package, and has for lts purpose to aiford a structure that can be economically manufactured, in which two or more different chemical constituents can be separately packaged so that neither will contact or affect the other, and from which the diierent chemicals can be quickly and -easily dispensed at the time of use and in the proper order in which they must be placed in the developing solution.

The'usual photographic developer package includes a reducing agent, which is first dissolved in water, and a second chemical consisting oicarbonates and sulphites which must be placed in the solution after the reducing agent, and various means have been proposed for packaging such chemicals separately in a single container, as for instance in opposite ends of a glass tube open at both ends and with a dividing wall between the ends, or in a tube open only at one end and with a cork or suitable wall between the chemicals, or where the carbonates and sulphites are inserted into a glass tube and the reducing agent is in a separate smaller container that may u be loosely arranged within the tube, but all of these procedures are characterized by serious objections which the present invention is designed to overcome.

In the last mentioned case, it is sometimes difficult to remove the small loose container from the glass tube, and there is the possibility of the carbonates and sulphites being introduced into the water before the reducing agent. Where a glass tube open at both ends is employed and the chemicals separately stored in opposite ends, there is a higher cost of production, due to the necessity of reversing the position of the tube for charging both ends, and there is also the danger that it will not be opened first at the proper end. In the case of the glass tube open only at one end, the tube must first be charged with the one chemical, after which the cork or wall must be inserted before charging the tube`with the reducing agent. This procedure is open to the objection that it is diiiicult to charge the tube with the carbonatos and sulphites without their contacting to some extent the inner surface of the side wall of the tube at the outer end where the reducing agent is finally housed, and a small amount of the first chemical is likely to adhere to the side wall and have an undesirable effect on the reducing agent when the latter is inserted above the cork or partition member. It is also sometimes diiiicult to remove the partition member from the tube to gain access to the carbonates (opzet-41) and sulphites after the reducing agent has been emptied.

All these obstacles are overcome by the present invention, which permits of packaging two chemicals separately within a single glass tube or other container, so that they cannot contact with or affect each other in any way, they can both be inserted from the same end of the tube so as to facilitate and render economical the packaging procedure, and they can be readily and quickly emptied for use in a manner that insures discharging the reducing agent from the tube before access can be had to the carbonates and sulphites.

The invention has for a further purpose to afford a construction that enables using a glass tube or other container in connection with a second container that is held in fixed relation within the rst container, being sealed and serv-y ing as a closure for theiirst container, and constructed of suitable material that is impermeable to water, and a cover which can be easily punctured to release the chemical contained therein.

To these and other ends. the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, the novel features being pointed out in the claim following the specification.

In the drawing' Fig; l is a sectional view of a'photographic developer package constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the parts of the package in spaced relation prior to assemb1ing,`

and showing the manner in which they cooperate. y

Referring more particularly to the drawing in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, I designates the outer container which may consist of a glass tube open only at one end and having a closed bottom 2. The container I is adapted to receive a mass of material 3 comprising the carbonatos and sulphites that enter into the developing solul tion, and which are discharged into the solution after the reducing agent is first dissolved in water.

The reducing agent is designated ai; 4 and is carried in a second container 5 which is made of any readily puncturable material impermeable to water, preferably such as metal foil. The metal foil container 5 is slightly tapered from its outer toits inner end where it is of substantially less diameter than that of the interior oiv the container l so as to permit the container 5 to tol be readily inserted within the container l. i designates a lateral annular flange at the outer end of the container l that is adapted to rest upon the end of the container I around the opening therein and to support the container I thereon.

1 designates a cover which is also preferably of metal foil, or other readily puncturable material impermeable to water and which can be easily sealed about the containers I 4and l. The cover I rests on the flange I and has a downwardlyextending sleeve or portion l that embraces theouter surface of the tube I and is sealed against the tube in any suitable manner as by compressing it thereagainst with suitable machinery, practices.

In packaging the materials, the container I is first charged with the carbonates and sulphites indicated at I, and thereafter the container I is inserted into the container I with its flange i resting upon the outer end of the tube. The

reducing agent I is then inserted into the container 5, following which the cover 'I is placed in position and suitably sealed or secured to the outer surface of the tube. When the cover I is secured in place, it closes the container 5 effectually, preventing the loss of any material therefrom, and through the instrumentality of the container i and flange I therof, also closes 'the container or tube I and prevents the loss of any chemical therefrom. l

When the materials are to be used, the operator first punctures the cover 1, and pours the reducing agent from the container linto the water where it is to be dissolved. LAfter the reducing agent is entirely removed from the container 5, the bottom of the latter is punctured or the container 5 removed by a knife or other instrument, and the material I then poured from the tube I into the solution.

Itis to be observed that with this structure and assembly, the material in container 5 at no time comes in contact with the surfaces of the wall of the tube I, both chemicals can be charged in acoordance with well known which the procedure and sealing would be the same as that described, except that an additional container is placed inside and charged before the cover is placed over the end.

While the invention has been described with reference to the particular embodiment disclosed, it is not confined to the specific materials and arrangements herein set forth, and this application is intended to cover any modifications or departures coming within the purposes of the improvement or the scope of the following claim.

We claim:

A photographic developer package comprising a container having a smooth cylindrical outer surface adjacent to its open end, a second container formed of readily puncturable material that is impermeable to water such as vmetal foil positioned within the first container and having Aan annular flange at its open end supported on the end of the first container surrounding the opening therein, and acover of readily puncturable material that is impermeable to waterv such as metal foil having a flat portion resting upon the aforesaid flange and covering the ends of the containers, said cover including a depending cylindrical portion embracing and permanently attached to said smooth cylindrical outer surface of the first container, said depending cylindrical portion of the cover being sealed to said cylindrical outer surface of the first mentioned container whereby the package is opened by puncturing the top of the cover.

ISAAC N. ODELL. ROBERT E.

SMITH. 

